Sorry I didn't answer all. I had all my antenatal visits in there, it was awesome, no packed waiting rooms, saw the same mw every visit. I didn't end up birthing in there as about a week before I was due it was closed because of lack of funds. I did however manage to have the birth my way as the mw's were aware that I was a patient of the birthing center. Basically I didn't want to be bed bound with straps and monitors for 8 hours straight like my first (induced).

Sorry I didn't answer all. I had all my antenatal visits in there, it was awesome, no packed waiting rooms, saw the same mw every visit. I didn't end up birthing in there as about a week before I was due it was closed because of lack of funds. I did however manage to have the birth my way as the mw's were aware that I was a patient of the birthing center. Basically I didn't want to be bed bound with straps and monitors for 8 hours straight like my first (induced).

I went birth centre with my 1st. You have to ask early on to be considered. They can take limited ppl so not everyone can get in, and u have to be low risk. Can't get epidural in birth centre, so you need to want to do it with minimal drugs, interventions etc. you can transfer from birth centre to labour ward if your not coping and want an epi. My hospital you can have water birth in birth centre but not in labour ward. You have 1 main mw and 1 back up (see main majority of time, but back up if your mw in a birth etc.). You also get discharged within 24 hrs of birth, if complications (like I had), transfer to postnatal ward. Can leave after about 4hrs I think. The birth centre rooms are more homey, large bed where hubby can stay with you, couch, large bath, etc.

I went birth centre with my 1st. You have to ask early on to be considered. They can take limited ppl so not everyone can get in, and u have to be low risk. Can't get epidural in birth centre, so you need to want to do it with minimal drugs, interventions etc. you can transfer from birth centre to labour ward if your not coping and want an epi. My hospital you can have water birth in birth centre but not in labour ward. You have 1 main mw and 1 back up (see main majority of time, but back up if your mw in a birth etc.). You also get discharged within 24 hrs of birth, if complications (like I had), transfer to postnatal ward. Can leave after about 4hrs I think. The birth centre rooms are more homey, large bed where hubby can stay with you, couch, large bath, etc.

I'm booked into a birth centre. I got the last spot when I was 5 weeks. As everyone else has said they have a more natural approach to birth and also have access to water! I have 2 midwives for my appointments and hopefully one will deliver my baby but there is no guarantee!

I'm booked into a birth centre. I got the last spot when I was 5 weeks. As everyone else has said they have a more natural approach to birth and also have access to water! I have 2 midwives for my appointments and hopefully one will deliver my baby but there is no guarantee!

i just had a baby at a birth centre almost 3 weeks ago. i had the same midwife right through my whole pregnancy and the same one i had with my first son also. although my midwife was on her day off the day i had my bub i was familiar with her team and i had a perfect water birth with no intervention or pain meds. the birth centre i was at you can only stay for 4 hours though there are no facilities to stay longer then that.

i just had a baby at a birth centre almost 3 weeks ago. i had the same midwife right through my whole pregnancy and the same one i had with my first son also. although my midwife was on her day off the day i had my bub i was familiar with her team and i had a perfect water birth with no intervention or pain meds. the birth centre i was at you can only stay for 4 hours though there are no facilities to stay longer then that.

Just throwing this out there, some public hospitals offer kind of similar care as the birth centre. If I was in the catchment area I would have tried for the birth centre though. Next best option was my local public hospital. They have a "team midwifery" group that you can request to be a part of if you are low risk. I see the same midwife every appointment and met the other 5 or so midwives in the antenatal classes they run. One of the team will be on call when I go into labour. Check and see if your local hospital has a similar model of care perhaps. I wouldn't be allowed a water birth though, disappointing!

Just throwing this out there, some public hospitals offer kind of similar care as the birth centre. If I was in the catchment area I would have tried for the birth centre though. Next best option was my local public hospital. They have a "team midwifery" group that you can request to be a part of if you are low risk. I see the same midwife every appointment and met the other 5 or so midwives in the antenatal classes they run. One of the team will be on call when I go into labour. Check and see if your local hospital has a similar model of care perhaps. I wouldn't be allowed a water birth though, disappointing!

I'm going through our Community Midwife Program. I'll give birth in the hospital, but am seeing the same midwife for all my appointments (apart from 1 where I need to see an OB as I have PCOS and am at a higher risk of GD) and for the birth. So if something goes wrong I will be able to have it fixed quickly, and my birth will be as natural as possible.

I'm going through our Community Midwife Program. I'll give birth in the hospital, but am seeing the same midwife for all my appointments (apart from 1 where I need to see an OB as I have PCOS and am at a higher risk of GD) and for the birth. So if something goes wrong I will be able to have it fixed quickly, and my birth will be as natural as possible.

I don't know where u are but I went through the birth centre at RPA in Sydney when I had my son, and I would NOT recommend it. At RPA, the birth centre & labour wars both had lovely rooms with baths etc. I spent 35 hours in labour at the birth centre, begging to be transferred to the labour ward for the last 8 hours as I knew something was wrong. When they finally transferred me, I had only dialated 2cm in all that time and needed intervention. My son ended up tearing his lung when he was born and went into ICU as the labour was excessively long & distressing. Every midwife and obstetrician I have spoken to since then about the birth centre has similar stories and were not positive about them. They don't like transferring u even if u need it. In the labour ward u can still have a drug free, natural water birth, but u have the options of painkillers if u need it or more importantly medical intervention if needed.

I don't know where u are but I went through the birth centre at RPA in Sydney when I had my son, and I would NOT recommend it. At RPA, the birth centre & labour wars both had lovely rooms with baths etc. I spent 35 hours in labour at the birth centre, begging to be transferred to the labour ward for the last 8 hours as I knew something was wrong. When they finally transferred me, I had only dialated 2cm in all that time and needed intervention. My son ended up tearing his lung when he was born and went into ICU as the labour was excessively long & distressing. Every midwife and obstetrician I have spoken to since then about the birth centre has similar stories and were not positive about them. They don't like transferring u even if u need it. In the labour ward u can still have a drug free, natural water birth, but u have the options of painkillers if u need it or more importantly medical intervention if needed.

I was induced in a private hospital with my first, so thought of try birth centre for my 2nd. Birth centre was FaNTASTIC!! Going birth centre with my 3rd. Have only heard bad stories if it was a first birth and there were complications, which is why you need to be low risk I guess? I've been lucky to be low risk and have the option.

I was induced in a private hospital with my first, so thought of try birth centre for my 2nd. Birth centre was FaNTASTIC!! Going birth centre with my 3rd. Have only heard bad stories if it was a first birth and there were complications, which is why you need to be low risk I guess? I've been lucky to be low risk and have the option.

I was birth centre with my lo and couldn't recommend it highly enough. I was labouring in the water bath when my waters broke, unfortunately lo had poohed in his waters so I was transferred to labour ward. My midwife stayed with me the whole time and was very reassuring that I could still labour the way I wanted. No pain meds, very relaxed and the care was outstanding! I really wanted it to not feel like a medical procedure and the birth centre was great for that.

I was birth centre with my lo and couldn't recommend it highly enough. I was labouring in the water bath when my waters broke, unfortunately lo had poohed in his waters so I was transferred to labour ward. My midwife stayed with me the whole time and was very reassuring that I could still labour the way I wanted. No pain meds, very relaxed and the care was outstanding! I really wanted it to not feel like a medical procedure and the birth centre was great for that.

Brit, my waters broke right at the end when I wanted to push, and there was meconium. They pushed an emergency button and paed's, nurses etc rushed over from the hospital to the birth centre (which was in the hospital, just further down the corridor from L&D). Baby was fine, no meconium inhaled/swallowed. Maybe I wasn't transferred then coz it was too late? I did transfer after birth as I had complications (tearing, required surgery etc).

Brit, my waters broke right at the end when I wanted to push, and there was meconium. They pushed an emergency button and paed's, nurses etc rushed over from the hospital to the birth centre (which was in the hospital, just further down the corridor from L&D). Baby was fine, no meconium inhaled/swallowed. Maybe I wasn't transferred then coz it was too late? I did transfer after birth as I had complications (tearing, required surgery etc).

Depends on the birth centre you go to. Were are you? They vary. Mine was fantastic & really was just the corridor across from the labour ward so if anything went wrong I could have been transferred. Had a big bath & shower & was low intervention. I was able to stay as long as I liked so stayed 4 days. Am going to the same hospital's birth centre for bub #2.

Depends on the birth centre you go to. Were are you? They vary. Mine was fantastic & really was just the corridor across from the labour ward so if anything went wrong I could have been transferred. Had a big bath & shower & was low intervention. I was able to stay as long as I liked so stayed 4 days. Am going to the same hospital's birth centre for bub #2.

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